Seward swimmer Lydia Jacoby leaves University of Texas team to go pro

Seward swimmer Lydia Jacoby announced Wednesday she’ll forgo her final two years of eligibility at the University of Texas to swim professionally.

Jacoby, 20, shocked the swimming world when she won the women’s 100-meter breaststroke gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021 due to COVID-19. Her attempt to return to the Olympics this summer fell short when she placed third in the 100-meter breaststroke finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

[After Olympic Trials letdown, Alaska swimmer Lydia Jacoby looks ahead with new perspective]

In just two seasons, Jacoby put together a stellar career for the Longhorns. She was a three-time All-American and won the national championship in the 100 breaststroke in 2023.

She said she will stay enrolled at UT, writing on Instagram: “I have absolutely loved my two seasons of swimming for the Longhorns and I’m eternally grateful for the coaching staff and my teammates at Texas. I’m continuing to work on my degree in advertising at the University of Texas and am excited for the future.”

Jacoby has also competed internationally at the World Swimming Championships and World Cup. She earned a silver medal in Tokyo as a member of the women’s 4x100 medley relay team.

A number of notable women swimmers have opted out of college eligibility to compete professionally, including superstar Katie Ledecky, who turned pro after competing for two years at Stanford University.